It is with sadness that the Centre of Latin American Studies (CLAS) shares the news of the death, at 55, of Carlos Enríquez Verdura, an alum of the Centre and of St Edmund’s College.
Carlos was a diplomat, cultural promoter and tireless champion of Mexican culture. Born in Mexico City, he completed an undergraduate degree in International Relations at El Colegio de México (1990-1994) before matriculating at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, in 1997 to do an MPhil in Latin American Studies.
In the years that followed his MPhil, he took up various roles in the Mexican Foreign Office (including a period as cultural attaché in Peru) and in institutions like the National Council for Arts and Culture, all of which involved promoting and advocating for Mexican arts and culture abroad – a cause to which he was passionately committed.
As a freelance editor, he produced books including a volume, published in 2011, documenting the way in which the bicentenary of Mexico’s independence was marked and celebrated around the world. He often described himself as a “cultural translator”, helping explain the country he loved to an international audience. More recently, he launched a podcast series, Id.MX, to examine Mexican identity through iconic objects and works of art.
Carlos will be remembered for his warmth and humour, his impeccable sense of style, his peerless dancing, and the way he lit up when sharing his knowledge about Mexican history and culture.